Filling method and apparatus

ABSTRACT

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR CHARGING AEROSOL CONTAINERS HAVING PROPELLANT CHARGING VALVE IN THE BASE BY SECURING THE CONTAINER IN ITS UPRIGHT POSITION TO A SPINNER TABLE ADAPTED TO SUPPORT THE CONTAINER, ROTATING SAID CONTAINER WHILE INTRODUCING A PREDETERMINED QUANTITY OF PRODUCT DOWN THROUGH THE TOP OF THE CONTAINER, AND BY INTRODUCING A PREDETERMINED QUANTITY OF PROPELLANT UP THROUGH A FILLING PLATFORM AND IN THROUGH THE BASE OF THE CONTAINER.

R- W. BEFFEL FILLING METHOD AND APPARATUS March 23, 1971] SSheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 2Q, 1969 March 23, 1971 v R. w. BEFFEL 3,572,402

FILLING METHOD AND APPARATUS Filed June 26, 1969 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 23, 1971 I R. w. BEFFEL A 3,572,402 I FILLING METHOD AND APPARATUS Filed June 26, 1969 5 Sheets-Sheet March 23, 1971 f" R. WfBEFFEL -3,572,402

' FILLING METHOD AND APPARATUS 5' Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 26, i 1969 v United States Patent Ofice 3,572,402 FILLING METHOD AND APPARATUS Raymond W. Bette], Racine, Wis., assignor to S. C. Johnson & Son, Inc., Racine, Wis.

Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 743,745,

July 10, 1968. This application June 26, 1969,

Ser. No. 839,137

Int. Cl. 1365b 1/04, 3/04 US. Cl. 141-3 11 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This application is a continuation-in-part application of my copending application Ser. No. 743,745 dated July 1968.

This invention relates to a method of and apparatus for charging aerosol containers with propellant and product and, more specifically, to a method of and apparatus for separately charging aerosol containers with product through the top of the container and with propellant through a charging valve in the base portion.

Consumers have shown a distinct preference for products packaged and dispensed under pressure. In fact, in some product areas, such as hair sprays, shaving cream, insecticides and the like, the specific products are sold almost exclusively in such form. Until recently, however, the range of products capable of being dispensed under pressure was severely restricted to those products having a very low viscosity index, that is to say to those products having a very low resistance to pouring. Recently, industry attention has been directed to a container for dispensing packaged materials under pressure which is capable of dispensing a wide range of products. This con tainer is commonly referred to as the aerosol compartmented container, i.e. one having separate compartments for the product and the propellant.

Dispensers of the class described are known to utilize an internal plastic bag which depends from the top of the container and is connected to a top dispensing valve, and which serves both as the container for the product to be dispensed and as the barrier between the product and the propellant. It is also known to utilize a movable piston in the container to define the barrier. Regardless, however, of the internal approach taken, most such dispensers usually have a manually operable valve at the top and are charged with product at the top while having a propellant charging valve in the base. Thus, it will be appreciated that such dispensers cannot be charged in the same manner as ordinary non-compartmented dispensers which are usually charged solely from the top.

Most presently available assembly line charging machinery for use with non-compartmented dispensers includes a filling platform adapted to support the container in the upright position and a depending charging head for engaging the top of the container and filling it with propellant. Some attempts have been made to utilize this machinery for charging compartmented aerosol containers of the types mentioned above. In one method, the product is filled into its compartment, the overcap is positioned over the dispensing valve and the container is then inverted and fed to the charging machinery. Thus,

Patented Mar. 23, 1971 while the container is firmly supported by its overcap on the filling platform and held there by the charging head, the charging head fills the inverted container via its propellant charging valve. This described method has, however, many drawbacks. Not only must the container accurately be positioned by the charging machinery in the filling process, but also special equipment is necessary for carrying out the inversion of the container. Addi tionally, while the container is in the inverted position its overcap is susceptible to fracture and breakage because of the load imposed thereon in the filling process.

The present invention is directed to a method of and apparatus for filling the containers of the character described wherein the containers are charged in the upright position, thus avoiding the need for special inverting equipment, wherein the containers are readily charged without the need for prior placement of the overcap and which are readily compatible with presently available as sembly line charging machinery.

According to one aspect of my invention, the container is secured in its upright position to a filling platform adapted to support and rotate the container while a predetermined quantity of product is being introduced through the top of the container by a depending filling tube positioned above the platform.

In one form of the invention, the filling platform is of generally circular configuration and means are provided for indexing the container between respective filling stations. In addition, an arrangement is provided for securing and rotating the container during the filling operation at the selected product filling station.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a compartmented container having a propellant charging valve in its base is filled with product and then charged with propellant by securing the container in its upright position to a filling platform adapted to support the container, and by introducing a predetermined quantity of propellant up through the filling platform and into the container.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, an apparatus is provided for charging propellant into an aerosol container having a manually operable dispensing valve in the top and a propellant charging valve in the base. The apparatus includes a filling platform adapted to support the container in the upright position, and a depending filling tube positioned above said platform for introducing product into the top of said container, and means, including a propellant charging plunger, are provided for introducing a predetermined quantity of propellant up through the filling platform and propellant charging valve and into the container.

In accordance with still another aspect of the invention, the apparatus further includes a fluid chamber and a piston positioned in the fluid chamber and coupled to the propellant charging plunger. The piston is controlled by the fluid in the chamber to project the propellant charging plunger up through the filling platform surface during the charging period to engage the propellant charging valve of the compartmented aerosol container, the bottom of which is usually domed, and to retract the charging plunger below the surface upon completion of the charging thereof. The piston is also spring biased to maintain the charging plunger below the surface of the filling platform, thus ensuring that the filling platform surface is completely unobstructed during the times that aerosol containers are not being charged and thereby facilitating indexing and loading and unloading procedures.

In accordance with still another aspect of the present invention, the fluid of the fluid chamber includes the propellant utilized in charging the aerosol containers, and both the charging plunger and the piston are channeled to a provide a propellant conduit from the fluid chamber to the propellant outlet in the charging plunger.

There have thus been outlined rather broadly the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject of the claims appended hereto. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures for carrying out the several purposes of the invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions as do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Specific embodiments of the invention have been chosen for purposes of illustration and description, and are shown in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view, partially in section, of an aerosol container charging machine embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a section view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a section view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1

FIG. 4 is a side view, partially in section, of an alternate propellant charging mechanism for use in an aerosol container charging machine embodying the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a plan view, partially in section, of an aerosol container charging machine embodying the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a sectional 'view taken along line 66 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 7--7 of FIG. 5 and showing details of the product filling mechanism;

FIG. 8 is a sectional View taken along the line 8-8 of FIG. 7; and

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along the line 99 of FIG. 5, and showing details of the propellant filling apparatus.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, and more specifically to FIG. 1, there is shown a section of an aerosol container charging machine 10 having a filling platform 11 and a plurality of operating heads 12 which collectively define a plurality of charging stations shown generally at 14.

The filling platform 11 is preferably constructed to cooperate with presently available aerosol assembly line packaging equipment in order that the aerosol containers 15 may be removed from the assembly line, charged with propellant, and repositioned back in the assembly line. Thus, for example, filling platform 11 may be constructed and arranged in the same manner as the familiar rotatory filling tables found in the rotatory type filling and charging machines presently utilized by most of the aerosol packaging industry.

The operating heads 12 are preferably constructed and arranged to secure aerosol containers 15 to the filling plat form 11 in essentially the same manner carried out by charging heads found in existing filling and charging machines, such as, for example, the rotatory type mentioned above. The operating heads 12 do not, however, function to inject the propellant into the aerosol container as done by these prior art charging heads since the aerosol containers 15 are charged at their bottom portions from under the filling platform 11. Thus, like the prior art charging heads, operating heads 12 may include inverted cups 16 which bear upon the top surface of the aerosol container 15 to secure it firmly to the filling platform and which are selectively raised and lowered by piston rods 17 actuated in the fluid cylinder 19 and supported by piston rod guides 20.

As shown, aerosol containers 15 are of the standard three piece construction including a domed top 21, a

cylinder body 22 and a domed bottom 24. An inner plastic bag 25 depends from the top 21 and serves both as the container for the product to be dispensed and as a barrier between the product and the propellant. A manually operable valve 26 is provided in the top 21 and communicates with the interior of the plastic bag 25 for dispensing the product. The bottom 24 is centrally perforated to accept a propellant charging valve 27. The charging valve 27 is preferably of the check valve type, that is to say one which is opened by externally applied fluid pressure and automatically sealed by internal fluid pressure upon the removal of the external fluid pressure.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, it will be noted that each charging station 14 of the charging machine 10 is provided with a propellant charging mechanism 29 which functions to introduce a predetermined quantity of propellant into the aerosol containers 15. The propellant charging mechanism 29 includes a fluid cylinder 30 having a propellant charging plunger 31. The fluid cylinder 30 has a top opening 32, and an upstanding integral guide 34 which functions to seat and guide the movement of the propellant charging plunger 31. As shown in FIG. 2, the fluid cylinder 39 is preferably constructed to be secured to the underside of the filling platform 11 with the top opening 32 thereof communicating through a channel 35 with the top side of the filling platform. The propellant charging plunger 31 is provided with a piston section 36 which bears against the inner walls of the fluid cylinder 30 by means of an O ring 37. The plunger 31 is also provided with a fluid channel 39 which preferably runs along its entire longitudinal length as shown in FIG. 2, and which also communicates with the interior of the fluid cylinder '30 by ports 40 extending radially from the fluid channel 39 and through the sides of the propellent charging p unger 31. A propellant input 41, connected to a source (not shown) which dispenses a predetermined amount of propellant, communicates with the interior of the fluid cylinder 30 at a point just below the piston section 36.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the plunger 31 is constructed to seat on the upstanding guide 34 and extends through the top opening 32 of the fluid cylinder 30 to a point just below the top of the opening 35 in the filling platform 11. The propellant charging plunger 31 is addi tionally spring biased to this mentioned seated position by spring 42 for reasons to 'be fully explained hereinafter.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, during the operation of the charging machine 10, the aerosol container 15 .is placed in its upright position on the filling platform 11. Simultaneously, the depending operating head 12 is actuated to position its cup 16 over the top portion of the aerosol container 15 to secure the container firmly to the filling platform 11. Thereafter, a predetermined amount of propellant is introduced under pressure into the fluid cylinder 30 by way of propellant input port 41. The propellant, under pressure, acts upon the piston section'36 and against the bias of spring 42 tomove the plunger 31 up through the channel opening 35 to the propellant charging valve 27 of the aerosol container. As shown in FIG. 3, when the plunger 31 .is so positioned, ports 40 are placed in fluid communication with the fluid channel 39. Accordingly, propellant is additionally forced through the ports 40 and through the fluid channel 39 to the propellant charging valve 27. The pressurized propellant thereupon opens the propellant charging valve 27 and fills the container with a predetermined amount of propellant. When the exact amount of propellant has been forced into the container, the pressure is relieved from the propellant input port 41, thus in turn removing the pressure force on the piston section 36 and permitting the spring 42 to return the plunger 31 to the seated position shown in FIG. 2.

An alternate embodiment of the propellant charging valve 29 is shown in FIG. 4, wherein like parts have like reference numerals. As shown therein, the propellant charging mechanism 44 is similar to the propellant charging mechanism 29 described above, but additionally includes a counteracting valve piston 45 biased upwardly against shoulder 48 by spring 46 and which surrounds the propellant charging plunger 31. rings 47, 49, and 50 are preferably provided at the points shown in FIG. 3 to insure fluid tight connections.

The mechanism 44 operates to fill the compartmented containers in substantially the same manner as the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3. Thus, a predetermined amount of charging propellant is introduced under pressure at propellant input port 41. The pressure of the propellant forces the piston section 36 upwardly, and thus projects the plunger 31 against the bias of spring 42 up through the top opening 35 of the filling platform and to the propellant charging valve 27 of container 15. After plunger 31 travels its full distance, the propellant pressure then causes the counteracting valve piston 45 to travel downwardly against the biasing of spring 46 and to expose the radially extending ports 40 above the 0 rings 47. The propellant is thus able to flow through the ports 40 into the fluid channel 39 and through the valve 27 to fill the container. When the exact amount of propellant has been forced into the container, the pressure at propellant input port 41 is relieved and the plunger 31 and the counteracting piston valve 45 are returned to their original positions as shown in FIG. 3.

Referring now to the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 5-9, there is shown an aerosol container charging machine 210 having a filling platform 212 fixedly mounted on a flange 214, FIG. 6 on a pedestal 216. A post 218 is pivotally mounted on the pedestal 216, as at 220. A star wheel 222 is mounted on the post 218 for rotation therewith. This star wheel is provided with six spaced pockets 224 for receiving aerosol containers 226 which are to be filled. In this embodiment, the post 218 is driven intermittently and is so indexed as to move the containers 226 from one station to the next adjacent station in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 5. The indexing mechanism comprises an air ram assembly 228 which is used to advance a dog 230 pivoted to the outer end of a ram piston 232, as at 234. The dog 230 has a curved face 236 which engages a cam follower 238 mounted on a wheel 240 by means of nuts 239, FIG. 6, thereby to shift the wheel clockwise, as viewed in FIG. 5, when the ram is protracted. One end of a radius bar 242 is pvioted to the end of the piston 232 also at 234, and the other end thereof is pivotally attached to the hub 244 of the wheel 240. The radius bar acts through a spring 246, connected at its ends to the radius bar as at 248 and to the dog as at 250', thereby to reposition the dog when the ram is being retracted for each new stroke.

Oppositely disposed, with respect to the wheel 240 as best seen in FIGS. 5 and 6. is a locking bar 252 mounted on the end of a piston or push bar 254 which extends from a mounting block 256 by means of an aerosol assembly 258. This assembly serves to selectively engage the cam followers 238 to lock the wheel in position.

As best seen in FIG. 5, the machine is provided with an inlet indicated generally at 260 for receiving containers from a suitable supply source and guiding them into one pocket 224 of the star wheel. Also, the machine includes an outlet indicated generally at 262 where the filled containers are discharged from the machine, guide 264 serving to direct the containers outwardly in a suitable manner.

Still referring to FIG. 5, in operation an aerosol container enters the machine through the inlet 210 and is indexed around until it reaches a filling station such as the one indicated generally at 264. As seen in FIG, 7, the fiilling station 264 has a container base 266 which is somewhat larger than the container bottom. A spinner disk 268 is mounted in the base 266 and an air motor 270 is fixedly connected thereto by means of a set screw 272, provided for the purpose. Three magnets 274 are secured in recesses spaced 120 degrees apart in the upper surface of the spinner disk 268. As the containers reach the spinner disk due to the action of the star wheel, they come within the field of the magnets and are thereby held to the top surface of the disk. The disk is then rotated by the air motor in order to spin the container while it is being filled with a product which must be subjected to centrifugal force during such filling operation.

As shown, the aerosol containers 226 are of the standard three-piece construction including a domed top 286, a cylinder body 288 and a domed bottom 290. An inner plastic bag 292 depends from the top 286 and serves both as the container for the product to be dispensed and as a barrier between the product and the propellant. A stationary cylindrical filling tube 294. FIG. 7, serves to fill the interior of the plastic bag 292 with a product. It will be appreciated that the product enters the bag 292 substantially by means of the force of gravity. The centrifugal force created by the rotation of the container during filling serves to force the product into the pleats 293 in the plastic bag, thereby assuring complete filling of the bag. If desired, a small percentage of propellant may be introduced into the product to assist in the dispensing of the product at the time of its ultimate use,

One product filling station 264 is illustrated, but any A number of filling stations may be employed, if desired, for introducing several different products into the container, for example.

Then, the container is indexed to the next station indicated generally at 305, FIG. 5, where a cap and dispensing valve 307, FIG. 9, are mounted on the top 286 of the container in a manner well-known in the art. This step in effect serves to close the plastic bag 292. From this station the container is indexed to the next adjacent station which is the propellant charging station, as indicated generally at 306. FIGS. 5 and 9. This charging station is similar to the charging station described hereinbefore in connection with FIGS. l-4.

As seen in FIG. 9, the bottom 290 is centrally perforated to accept a propellant charging valve 304 which is preferably of the check valve type. The propellant charging station is provided with a propellant charging mechanism indicated generally at 308, FIG. 9, which functions to introduce a predetermined quantity of propellant into the aerosol container 292. The propellant charging mechanism 308 includes a fluid cylinder assembly 310, which is secured to the underside of a filling reinforcing platform 311, as at 312, the reinforcing platform being mounted below the filling platform 212. A propellant charging plunger 314 extends from the fluid cylinder assembly 310 through the filling platform and is engageable with the propellant charging valve 304 to eifect a fluid flow communication therewith. The pressurized propellant thereupon opens the propellant charging valve 304 and fills the container with a predetermined amount of propellant and when the exact amount of propellant has been forced into the container, the pressure is relieved and the propellant charging plunger is retracted below the filling platform 212 into the filling reinforcing platform 311. 1

It will be appreciated that the propellant, under pressure, fills the space 318 in the container 226 and overcomes the pressure of the product within the bag 292, so that the ultimate user merely has to deflect the dispensing valve 307 to cause the propellant to urge the product from the container.

It will be appreciated that the filling station 64, the cap and dispensing valve mounting station and the propellant charging station 106- may be mounted separately, on separate filling platforms, and with separate star wheels, if desired.

Thus, it may be seen from the above that there has been disclosed a method of and an apparatus for filling with product and with propellant aerosol containers having propellant charging valves in their base wherein the aerosol containers may readily be charged in their upright position, wherein it is not necessary to position overcaps on the aerosol containers before charging and which is readily compatible with presently available assembly line machinery.

What is claimed as new and novel is:

1. A method for separately charging with a product and with a propellant a container having a propellant charging valve in the base portion, said method comprising introducing into the open top of said container a predetermined quantity of product, then closing the open top of said container, and thence securing said container in upright position to a filling platform adapted to support such container and introducing into said container through said platform and said propellant charging valve a predetermined quantity of propellant.

2. A method for charging a container with a product and with a propellant according to claim 1 further comprising the step of simultaneously rotating said container when introducing said product into said container.

3. A method for separately charging with a product and with a propellant a container having a propellant charging valve in the base portion, said method comprising positioning said container in upright position on a filling platform, introducing into the open top of said container at a first station a predetermined quantity of product from an overhead filling tube, indexing said container to a second station, closing the open top of said container, indexing said container to a third station and then introducing into said container a predetermined quantity of propellant by projecting up through said filling platform surface a propellant charging plunger connected to a source of propellant to engage said propellant charging valve and retracting said propellant charging plunger below the surface of said filling platform after the charging is completed.

4. A method for separately charging with a product and with a propellant a container having a propellant charging valve in the base portion, said method comprising positioning said container in upright position on a filling platform, introducing into the top of said container from an overhead filling tube a predetermined quantity of product, while simultaneously rotating a portion of said platform under said container to rotate said container, then indexing said container to a second station, closing the open top of said container, indexing said container to a third station, securing said container in upright position to the filling platform and introducing into said container through said platform and said propellant charging valve a predetermined quantity of propellant by projecting through said propellant charging valve a filling plunger connected to a source of propellant and retracting said propellant plunger after the charging of said container.

5. Apparatus for separately charging with a product and with a propellant a container having a propellant charging valve in the base, said apparatus comprising a first filling station including a rotatable spinner table for rotating said container when introducing said product, a filling tube positioned above said table for introducing said product into said container, a second filling station, an operating head positioned above said platform in said second filling station, said operating head to engage the top portion of said container, means for producing relative movement between said platform and said operating head sufficient to secure said container therebetween, and means for introducing a predetermined quantity of propellant through said platform and propellant charging valve into said container.

6. Apparatus for charging a container with product and with propellant according to claim 5 further comprising means for indexing said container from one filling station to a second filling station including a star wheel for receiving said containers, an index wheel arranged to control the rotation of said star wheel, a plurality of cam followers symmetrically mounted on the outer portion of said index wheel, an air ram assembly having a ram piston, a dog pivotally mounted on said ram piston, said dog having a curved face which selectively engages said cam followers to index the index wheel a partial revolution, a radius bar having one end pivotally mounted on said ram piston and having the other end pivotally mounted on the wheel hub of said index wheel, a spring interconnecting said radius bar and said dog for repositioning said dog for each new stroke.

7. Apparatus for charging with a product and with a propellant according to claim 6 further comprising a blocking fluid container and piston assembly mounted adjacent said star wheel and oppositely disposed with respect to said air ram assembly, a blocking bar mounted on the end of the blocking piston for selectively engaging said cam followers to lock said index wheel in position.

8. Apparatus for charging a container with product and propellant according to claim 5 wherein said spinner table comprises a plurality of magnetic elements embedded therein for magnetically holding the container thereto.

9. Apparatus for charging a container with product and with propellant according to claim 8 wherein said spinner table is rotated by an air motor mounted thereunder.

10. Apparatus for charging with a product and with a propellant a container having a propellant charging valve in the base, said apparatus comprising a first filling station including a filling platform, a filling tube for introducing product into the top of said container positioned above said platform, a rotatable spinner table mounted on said platform for rotating said container while introducing said product, means for indexing said container to a second station, means for mounting a cap and dispening valve on top of said container, means for indexing said container to a third station, an operating head positioned above said platform means in said third station, said operating head to engage the top portion of said container, means for producing relative movement between said platform and said operating head sufficient to secure said container therebetween, and means for introducing a predetermined quantity of propellant through said platform and propellant charging valve into said container.

11. Apparatus for charging with a product and with a propellant a container having a propellant charging valve in the base, said apparatus comprising a. first filling station including a filling platform, a filling tube positioned above said platform for introducing product into the top of said container, a rotatable spinner table mounted on said platform for rotating said container when introducing said product, said spinner table comprising a plurality of magnetic elements embedded therein for magnetically holding the container thereto, an air motor for rotating said spinner table, means for indexing said container to a second station, means for mounting a cap and dispensing valve on the open top of siad container, means for indexing said container to a third station, an operating head positioned above said platform means in said third station, said operating head to engage the top portion of said container, means for producing relative movement between said platform and said operating head sufficient to secure said container therebetween, means for introducing a predetermined quantity of propellant through said platform and said propellant charging valve into said container, said means for indexing said container comprising a star wheel mounted adjacent said filling platform, an index 9 pivotally mounted on the wheel hub of said index wheel, a spring interconnecting said radius bar and said dog for repositioning said dog for each new stroke.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,058,093 4/1913 Phelps 141--113X FOREIGN PATENTS 697,547 11/1964 Canada 1413 5 HOUSTON S. BELL, 111., Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

